The present invention relates generally to alerting and warning systems, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for capturing and processing images from a portion of a system for monitoring that portion of the system for conditions warranting an operator warning.
Alerting and warning apparatus are used in a variety of applications to provide warnings to user or operators of a system, for example, a vehicle, an aircraft, a ship, a railroad, a building, or the like of impending operator concerns such as impending mechanical failures, safety issues, and the like. For instance, typical aircraft systems may provide a variety of alerts, cautions and warnings for such operator concerns as engine fire, impending collision, stalling, or low hydraulic pressure. Similarly, automobile systems may provide warnings for open doors, engine overheating, poor traction, or low fuel. However, the operator of such system cannot view the affected portion of the system to determine if the warning is in fact true, or to determine whether the condition causing the warning warrants the operator's immediate attention and action. Further, most existing alerting and warning systems typically do not include internal redundancy that is capable of reliably indicating whether the warning provided to the operator is in fact a true warning condition or is instead a failure of the warning system itself.